Holmes sets school record in home finale Bucs fend off Bears on Senior Day
Published 1:02 am Tuesday, November 19, 2019
CONTRIBUTED BY ETSU ATHLETICS
JOHNSON CITY – The home finale did not disappoint as ETSU held several celebrations throughout the game including Senior Day, celebrating a 38-33 win and most notably witnessing a program rushing record set by Quay Holmes (Powder Springs, Ga.) as he scampered for 255 yards.
Holmes’ 255-yard performance broke a 21-year-old record of 242 yards held by ETSU Hall of Famer, Brandon Walker.
With the 38-33 win over Mercer, ETSU improved to 3-8 on the season and 1-7 in the Southern Conference, winning the final league game of the season.
With the loss, the Bears fall to 4-7 (3-5 SoCon).
The Bucs scored on all five possessions in the first half, jumping out to a 10-7 lead over the Bears in the first 15
minutes of play.
ETSU’s first-quarter touchdown was a Jacob Saylors (Cleveland) 2-yard spurt to give the Blue & Gold the advantage.
After a Mercer touchdown to start the second quarter, the Bucs rattled off three consecutive touchdown
drives for 21 unanswered points and a 31-14 halftime lead.
Holmes accounted for two of the three touchdowns with a four-yard touchdown run and a one-yard punch into the endzone. ETSU’s final touchdown
of the half came after Artevius Smith’s (Birmingham, Ala.) goal-line interception was returned to the Mercer 27-yard line.
of the half came after Artevius Smith’s (Birmingham, Ala.) goal-line interception was returned to the Mercer 27-yard line.
ETSU’s freshman quarterback Tyler Riddell (Tampa, Fla.) found Keith Coffee (Miami, Fla.) for a 27-yard touchdown strike on the very next play to provide the Bucs with the 17-point cushion with nine seconds left in the half.
The Bears pulled within five in the second half after a 13-yard touchdown by Tyray Devezin in the third quarter and a Chris Ellington four-yard touchdown catch to open the fourth quarter.
Mercer scored 12 unanswered points but missed the extra point on the first touchdown of the second half and later failed the two-point
passing play in the fourth quarter.
passing play in the fourth quarter.
ETSU reclaimed the 12-point advantage after Holmes found the endzone for the third time, this time a three-yard touchdown run.
Holmes’ third touchdown run tied a personal best for the ETSU sophomore, recording three touchdowns in the 2018 Homecoming win over Gardner-Webb on Oct. 6.
The Bears struck again with 4:33 remaining in the game as Devezin recorded his fourth touchdown carry of the game, a seven-yard run to cap off a 10-play, 78-yard drive.
ETSU held on to the ball for the final 4:33 on the clock, rushing the ball for 60 yards to seal the win. Holmes carried the ball seven times for 60 yards on the final drive to lift the Blue & Gold to the win and soar into the record books with his 255 yards rushing.
